


tsukiakari

by kaegays



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Vampire, Gen, bc ya its been like 12 years LOL we out here with 27-30 yr old boys, but they sure done do talk, mostly off screen, ritsus life is as much of a disaster as the man himself this au, they just talk it out on the back porch? a tiny bit?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-04
Updated: 2019-01-04
Packaged: 2019-10-04 00:13:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17294003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaegays/pseuds/kaegays
Summary: it's good to be back





	tsukiakari

**Author's Note:**

> hi this is another rp fic is this a trend? this is a trend what can i say im overactive in my need to type  
> this is unedited theres like no context i can properly give to this other than sakuma bros r vampires ritsu has a bad habit of biting mao and others unfortunately their parents were hunted bc of him and deadass theres just a lot i just dont rlly have a lotta places to put this and rp content is MOST of my content BAHHSHEH any questions just hmu im dying

Overwhelming. Ever since he woke up, it’s been overwhelming.

 

Confusion, panic, exhaustion, loneliness, irritation, appreciation, shock, fear, anger, fear, nervousness, exhaustion, shock, relief, frustration, sadness, exhaustion. On and on it goes, gears turning behind a mask of apathy. Ritsu’s only line of defense is pretending to not care, and even then it is no defense so much as it is a distraction to allow him to process these things in peace. Peace that always becomes disturbed regardless, because respect for Ritsu’s sensitivities exists about as much as his respect for the sensitivities of others.

 

That is to say, it does not. You are treated how you treat others, after all. Ritsu can’t complain that he is treated badly, because he isn’t. He can complain that it’s frustrating to have no space to breathe in all of this, though.

 

As things are right now, though, he manages little more than some stray sniffles, eyes bleary and barely staying open. He dozed off apparently… He wouldn’t at this hour, usually, but crying surprisingly takes a lot out of him. It’s hard to stay awake, especially when it’s so warm and soft and nice…

 

…Hm? Hey, wait a minute.

 

What?

 

A quick peek through his eyelashes tells him all he needs to know, Rei on his phone and distracted, but thats definitely his arm he’s leaned against. Hmmm.

 

He can complain when Ritsu wakes up proper, he’s not giving up this comfort… And he missed Rei more than he’s going to outright admit, even with how they were just getting sappy.

 

It never comes.

 

 

“Ricchan?”

 

It’s quiet, nostalgic in a way that feels very strange to Ritsu. He’s nearly 30, technically, but time stopped for him long ago. To hear Mao say his name like that again is unsettling, but warming. It does not, however, stop him from sighing and curling into himself further as Mao seats himself on the porch stairs, shoulder to shoulder with Ritsu. It’s weird that he’s so content to be so close, knowing… Everything.

 

His memories are scrambled still, and he doesn’t have everything, but it still stands.

 

He’s taking too long to respond, but Mao doesn’t miss a beat regardless, continuing on in that stupid soft tone to ask “Are you okay?”

 

And really, why wouldn’t he be? Why wouldn’t he be okay?

 

“…Well, I’m working on it. What’s up?”

 

It’s hard to lie to Mao. So he won’t try, it’s effort he doesn’t have in him right now, though the moon is up so high, glowing down upon them.

 

Of course, he shakes his head and shrugs his shoulders, mumbling “I dunno, I just… Wanted to check on you. I’ve been really worried about you, y’know?” And really, it’s just baffling how Mao can say something like that so seriously. Why worry about a vampire? Why worry about him? But it’s Mao, so of course he would. He just shakes his head, looking away from his concerned smiling.

 

“You didn’t have to, from a factual standpoint.” It’s so stupidly clinical that he can’t help smiling wryly, glancing back to him out of the corner of his eye. “Well, not that I’d ever complain about Makkun worrying about me~”

 

It elicits a sigh and a ‘What am I going to do with you?’ type expression, and that’s all Ritsu could possibly hope for. He says something or other, probably scolding him lightly in the way he always did, but all Ritsu can focus on is the bangs in his face and how he still has his hairclip and could be fixing that right now.

 

So he does. Mao stops dead in his tracks when Ritsu leans forward to push his bangs out of the way, staring first at Ritsu and then at the clip he pulls out. Ritsu pulls away with barely any lingering once the job is done, but Mao continues to stare at him, looking somewhere between confused and surprised. It’s an endearing look.

 

“…You kept it?” It’s a little too quiet, too genuinely surprised for his liking. It’s irritating that Mao thinks he wouldn’t, but it merely brings up a sour expression and a whiny tone as he tells him “Makkun, of _course_ I would keep it. You gave it to me for safe keeping, so I kept it. Did you really think that I wouldn’t?”

 

Mao looks like he feels guilty, of course he would, and he opens his mouth like he wants to start apologizing. A whack on the head is what he gets– Not full strength, _never_ full strength, but he’s just so tired of Mao doing this. His patience was starting to wear thin back then, and that’s something that hasn’t changed even with 12 years of being comatose.

 

He complains, because it hurts, yeah, that’s fair. Whining and rubbing his head and “ _Why?_ ” but the only response he gets is Ritsu laughing at him.

 

Ritsu missed being able to do these things with Mao. It’s good to be back, even with everything. His skin is cold, and maybe his personality isn’t much better, but warmth bubbles in his chest and he just feels happy.

 

“Hey, Makkun? …Thanks.”

 

It’s sudden, he’s not entirely sure why he said it so he really can’t answer Mao’s confused look. With another fond shake of the head and a sigh, Mao pets Ritsu’s head with a small smile, muttering something about “Geez, what are you thanking me for, Ricchan…? I’m just glad you’re back.”

 

He is too, but this is rapidly approaching sincerity levels he’s not okay with. At a loss of how to respond, his gaze briefly drops to the scar on his neck and, on an impulse, he touches it.

 

Mao shrieks. “Ricchan, that’s cold?!” or something from what he could make out, and while he’s busy laughing at Mao’s animated reaction, he looks genuinely concerned. It’s strange, because “What did you expect? It’s always been like that, right?” so why is it so shocking? He’s kind of dead and all.

 

“…But, Ricchan, it wasn’t.”

**Author's Note:**

> its 9 pm i just spontaneously finished this after writing since last night mika's bday has long since past but im still working on a long ass thing for him this is very important to me. in the mean time, sometimes i rlly love ritsu and sometimes i wanna kill him. sometimes both. i think abt shit with him a lot regardless  
> also i just remembered i have twitter @kaegays maybe i'll use it for once LOLOLOL


End file.
